Top Ten Benefits of Cloud Computing Security Training

You might have heard of the term cloud computing, but don’t know exactly what that means. Cloud computing is a practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to manage, store and process data, instead of a local server or a personal computer. Some of the most common uses for 'the cloud’ are secondary storage of personal and business files, online collaboration of tasks through shared documents on one platform, data backup for disaster recovery and using software on a subscription (often called software-as-a-service or SaaS). Cloud computing security knowledge provides one with a comprehensive view of cloud computing and cloud security fundamentals. This training is geared towards security professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, business analysts, developers, senior managers and anyone looking to expand their knowledge of cloud security. If you have a company or thinking of starting a new company, here is how cloud computing security training can really help your business move to the next level.

Top Ten Benefits of Cloud Computing' Security Training

1. No maintenance

Perhaps the greatest benefit of cloud computing is the fact that you will never have to worry about space constraints. All you need to do is get a basic computer and a speedy internet connection. All the other heavy machinery is at the server end, and you only need a gateway to make entries and receive the output. For example, try to think of cloud computing as a food-vending machine. You just select what you need, insert some coins, enter the commands, and the machine does the processing to give you the desired item (output). Basically, you don’t have to worry about where to set the up the machine, all you have to worry about is the output!

2. Reliable

Major IT firms generally provide cloud-computing services, and in most cases, such firms have huge server farms (thousands of computers), which provide these services to customers. The farms are properly maintained and powered by very powerful hardware. This means you can count on cloud computing to deliver almost all the time in a prompt and efficient manner. In certain cases, there are some outage problems, which might be at the server end or at the end your internet service provider. However, these are just minor hiccups which cannot take away the general reliability of cloud computing.

3. Very secure

The service providers go to great lengths to ensure you to get the best service. Cloud computing is handled by extremely powerful hardware which is complemented by highly effective software. The industry standard security software ensures that data is secure. This doesn’t mean the firewalls cannot be breached, but your important data is definitely much safer in the cloud than with you. What’s more, you can always have a backup of all your data on the cloud.

4. Flexible

Nothing offers flexibility like cloud computing. Since all the processing is done offshore, you can virtually carry out all your operations and access your data from any location. All you need is a basic computer and a good internet connection, and you’re good to start working. With cloud computing, you don’t have to worry about getting late at work, you can go home and continue with your work. This is even more useful if you have several people working on the same project simultaneously across different locations.

5. Cost-effective

Cloud computing services are quite cheap. With this technology, you can select exactly what you want and just pay for those services. If you want to use certain software, you can opt for SaaS (software as a service) and use the software over cloud. This is a cheaper option compared to the conventional way of installing the software on your desktop. This means you don’t need to worry about maintenance and security of the computers. Basically, you can save a huge amount on licenses for each of the multiple users in your company and on rent since you don’t need a large space for all computers and servers. If you stop using the service, you don’t need to pay for it any longer.

6. Easy backup and recovery

With cloud computing, you can easily save your data on a cloud-based server instead of a tape or a hard disk. This will save you a lot of hassle when it comes to backup and recovery because cloud service providers also offer reliable data recovery. For this reason, backing up your data becomes very easy and efficient.

7. Quick to set up and convenient to integrate

Once you choose this service, it can be set up easily and very quickly. Within a short period of time, you can secure all your data and go back to work. Further, if you wish to add a new user, it can be done easily and conveniently without affecting other users. When using this service, you choose only the software you need. The software can also be customized and integrated to meet each user’s needs.

8. Huge amount of storage capacity

In cloud computing, data is stored on the service provider’s servers. The service providers offer unlimited storage of data. You don’t need to worry about adding new hardware because storage capacity is not a problem.

9. Improves competitiveness

One of the greatest benefits of cloud is that it enables small businesses to access the type of technological resources they wouldn't afford. This makes them even more competitive and gives them a chance to face big companies with already established market presence. Small companies that use these services are more focused, directing all their energy towards the core business activities instead of maintaining & updating software and hardware. Without the in-house servers, computers and other expenses, small companies have more funds to re-invest in themselves. As the fortunes rise & fall, they can scale their cloud services to accommodate the changing needs'. For example, if the small company suddenly gets a huge client, it can easily accommodate this by changing its storage subscription plan to create room for the big image files they'll be creating for the big client. Cloud computing is one way of providing increased business productivity and competitiveness.

10. Environmental benefits

Cloud computing reduces hardware consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and energy costs. At any given time, servers are used as per requirement and this saves a lot of energy.

About the Author

Eshna is a writer at Simplilearn. She has done Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication and is a Gold Medalist in the same. A voracious reader, she has penned several articles in leading national newspapers like TOI, HT and The Telegraph. She loves traveling and photography.